Tiny additional technical point: the classification should consider geography as well. I heard of a couple visiting the Boston (USA) area from China. They found a mushroom that looked like an edible mushroom in China, but it was not the same and was in fact very poisonous. One died and the other was very ill. I'm not a mushroom expert but it was explained in the news article that their mushroom classification would have been fine had they been considering only mushrooms present in China. Of course this is tangential to software and licensing. Carry on.... Jim Garrett
On April 2, 2024 6:13:36 AM EDT, "Lars Noodén via libreplanet-discuss" <libreplanet-discuss@libreplanet.org> wrote: On 3/30/24 01:06, Akira Urushibata wrote: [snip] Another issue I would like to raise is that many people erroneously believe that "artificial intelligence" is an improved form of software. Conventional programs are accurate when properly written, but "AI" systems work on a different principle which cannot guarantee accuracy. Many people fail to understand this. They think: "Computers are accurate. AI makes computers better so one with AI must also be accurate." [snip] Good point. First an aside, a simple photo alone would not be enough to safely identify a mushroom even with fully free software. When identifying a mushroom the top, the underside, the stipe, the texture, and the substrate or location it was growing in have to be taken into account. Sometimes even the season and scent help. The software could start wit the photo and then ask follow up questions thus combine "AI" with a classical Expert System, the latter being quite good in such cases. However, stepping back and looking at the larger problem, there are the questions of fitness for purpose and liability with software in general. Back in 2014, Dan Geer brought up the topic of software liability and how to address it. Software freedom is an essential component in his initial musings: """ ....................... 1. If you deliver your software with complete and buildable source code and a license that allows disabling any functionality or code the licensee decides, your liability is limited to a refund. ....................... Clause one is how to avoid liability: Make it possible for your users to inspect and chop out any and all bits of your software they do not trust or want to run. That includes a bill of materials ("Library ABC comes from XYZ") so that trust has some basis, paralleling why there are ingredient lists on processed foods. The word "disabling" is chosen very carefully: You do not need to give permission to change or modify how the program works, only to disable the parts of it that the licensee does not want or trust. Liability is limited even if the licensee never actually looks at the source code; as long has he has received it, you (as maker) are off the hook. All your other copyrights are still yours to control, and your license can contain any language and restriction you care for, leaving the situation unchanged with respect to hardware-locking, confidentiality, secrets , software piracy, magic numbers, etc. Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) is obviously covered by this clause which leaves its situation unchanged. """ —— [1]http://geer.tinho.net/geer.blackhat.6viii14.txt A lot of proprietary software, such as the mushroom guide, or any product out of the bowels of Redmond, appear to fall into the unfortunate category of being unfit for purpose. And of components, I gather that the foundations for eventual liability rules are being laid by dealing with the Software Bill of Materials being made by so many FOSS projects of late. However, it is important that proactive efforts be made too so that FOSS does not get painted into a corner somehow outmaneuvered. /Lars __________________________________________________________________ libreplanet-discuss mailing list libreplanet-discuss@libreplanet.org [2]https://lists.libreplanet.org/mailman/listinfo/libreplanet-discuss -- Sent from /e/OS Mail. References 1. http://geer.tinho.net/geer.blackhat.6viii14.txt 2. https://lists.libreplanet.org/mailman/listinfo/libreplanet-discuss
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